


Healing

by rumplestiltskinsbulge



Series: Healing [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), ouat
Genre: AU, F/M, Rumbelle - Freeform, Rumbelle AU - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-06
Updated: 2013-08-06
Packaged: 2017-12-22 15:25:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/914840
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rumplestiltskinsbulge/pseuds/rumplestiltskinsbulge
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompted by repeatinglitanies. Due to an traumatic accident, Mr Gold’s adult son reverted to the mind of a young child. He sees Nurse Belle comforting Neal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healing

**Author's Note:**

> This, and my other works, can also be found at http://grumplegold.tumblr.com/
> 
> If you enjoy it, a reblog there would be lovely!

It was his fault. All his fault. No matter what anyone said, he had caused this.

A drunk driver, they said. The driver was fine but his little boy.. his Neal. He’d hit his head terribly hard, and now he wasn’t himself. He wasn’t the strong, successful lad that he’d been, engaged to be married and so happy. Now he was different. He thought he was a child again. That’s the best way to explain it, really. He acted and thought like a child. In his head, he was a ten year old boy. 

And it was all his fault.

Adam Gold limped through the hospital, nodding sullenly to nurses who greeted him politely enough, though he knew they bore him no true love. He was a difficult man to love; even more so when his son was in such a vulnerable state. If he’d had his way, he would be with Neal every second of the day. Unfortunately the doctors insisted he at least eat away from the private hospital room that he had gotten for his son. He’d made quick work of his food, not tasting a single piece of the chicken nor a drop of the soda he’d gotten, and made his way quickly back towards his son’s room.

When he got there, he could see the door open a bit, and the soft sounds of singing could be heard. His steps slowed as he pushed open the door and stood in the door way, watching. The young woman’s back was to him, her auburn hair pulled into a loose bun. She was wearing the light green scrubs of a nurse, little roses decorating the shirt.

“So I think it’s best that we both forget before we dwell on it.” She sang, her soft voice sweet in the air. His son seemed as though he was starting to calm from some fit he’d been in, his eyes closed as the young nurse brushed dark locks from his face. “Cuz you love, love, love when you know I can’t love. You love, love, love when you know I can’t love..” He watched the two as his son slowly fell asleep to the sounds of the woman’s voice.

She stopped singing, and Gold snapped out of whatever stupor he’d been in. As she stood and turned, she jumped slightly. “Oh I’m sorry,” she said, a dust of pink coloring her cheeks to match the roses on her shirt. “I didn’t know anyone was here.” She avoided his gaze. “You’re his father, right?” Gold nodded. 

“Aye.” He said. Did she really think he would be upset for her seemingly helping his son? Did the nursing staff really think that little of him? He supposed he didn’t give them a reason to feel otherwise. “I’ve not been here long.” He limped over to his son’s bedside, the cane he leaned on clicking lightly as he passed her. “What happened?”

“I came in to check on his vitals, and when he woke up alone he got frightened.” A mixture of guilt for leaving his son and anger for the doctors making him leave rushed into him. “Because of his… state, he doesn’t know his own strength. He started lashing out and I was afraid he would break something or hurt himself.” She made her way to the other side of the bed to right a lamp he assumed Neal had knocked over.

“When my father was alive, he acted the same way sometimes. Singing to him helped.” She told him. “He had Alzheimer’s.” She explained when he looked at her strangely. “I know it’s not the same thing but I thought I’d give it a try.” She shrugged lightly.

“Thank you.” He said, genuinely. A small smile crossed her lips, and she straightened out his son’s blanket a bit. 

“All in a day’s work.” She said, leaving them to be alone and tend to other patients. 

Through the next few weeks, friend’s of Neal’s visited, as well as his fiancee Tamara. Gold didn’t like her very much, but she made Neal happy. And that was more important than anything to him. It was hard on her, he could see. Even Neal’s mother came to visit him. Adam Gold had no love left in his heart for his ex-wife, only contempt. But he couldn’t deny her from seeing Neal. He was as much her son as he was Gold’s. Still, he usually found himself getting out to grab a coffee when she visited.

He saw the young nurse around the hospital every now and again, always with differing rose patterns on her scrub shirt. She was a lovely young woman, he thought. He hadn’t really realized when they’d first met, as he’d been far more concerned with his son than with her. One of the times he found himself trying to get coffee from the machine, only to have it give him less than half a cup, she found him. 

He cursed at the machine, and she chuckled a bit from his right side. “Happens all the time.” She said, gesturing with her head for him to follow her. Her hands were filled with paper towels, and he looked at them as he followed her.

“Are you the nurse or the janitor?” He asked, hoping immediately after that he hadn’t offended her, but knowing he probably had. To his surprise, she laughed. “Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I went to school for as long as everyone else, but as the new girl I get stuck with all of the menial jobs.” She didn’t seem overly upset about it, though. 

She led him into what appeared to be an employee lounge, holding the door for him despite her full hands. He muttered his thanks before moving into the room, empty except for them. “That machine makes gross coffee anyway, mine’s much better.” She flashed him a smile before walking past him to fill a holder with paper towels and setting the other packs, wrapped in paper, on the counter.

“Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, I’ll put a pot on.” She said, and he awkwardly moved to sit at a small, nearby table. He was silent, unsure of what to say to the young woman as she started up the coffee pot, putting in water and coffee grounds. “Your ex-wife is here again today.” She said, a statement, not a question. His look must have been strange, because seeing it made her blush. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so nosey. I just noticed that whenever Mrs. Jones visits you seem to go out for coffee, and do everything possible to stay out as long as you can. I just assumed..”

“Yes.” He said, trying to ease some of her discomfort. “She’s here again today.” The nurse, whose name he could see on her name tag was Belle French, gave him a sympathetic smile. “But she’s.. she’s his mother. So it’s not like I’m going to stop her.”

“Still, it can’t be easy.” She said, sitting across from him at the table. “But I know that Neal loves you both so much, if that helps.” She smiled a bit.

“Do you spend a lot of time with him?” Gold asked, confusion in his eyes.

“In the evening,” she said, nodding. “When the doctors make you go home, and he gets lonely. We talk and play board games. I-I hope you don’t mind.” She said, and he shook his head.

“No… no of course not.” He said, and she seemed relieved. “I’m glad that he has someone there if he needs them.” They sat in a bit of silence until the coffee seemed to have finished, and she got up, pulling out two cups and pouring. She gave him a cup before bringing over sugar and milk for him to do as he pleased. A single spoon of sugar and he was finished. He noticed she made hers up heavily with sugar and milk, making it pale and sweet. Like her. 

The thought had come upon him all at once, and he wasn’t certain where it’d come from. He washed the thought away with a drink of coffee. She was right, hers was much better. “What happened?” She said. “I-if you don’t mind my asking, of course.” 

“She left.” Was all he said. She paused a moment, as if confused.

“Oh I meant, with your son.” She clarified. Well he felt like a right moron. “It was a car accident, yes?” He nodded.

“We had a fight.. bigger than any fight we’d ever had in the middle of lunch.” She drank her coffee as she listened, keeping the cup up by her mouth as she sat back in her seat. “He stormed out before we’d finished.. If he would have stayed the whole time, he wouldn’t have been there when the damn drunk bastard…” he stopped, feeling himself growing emotional. Belle was shaking her head, dark curls swaying in the ponytail behind her.

“You don’t know that.” She said, almost stern. She sat forward, setting her cup on the table before her. “You have no way of knowing what might have happened. And you had no way of knowing what was to come.” She reached forward to lay a hand on his arm. He tensed under her touch, the first caring touch in a long time that had come from Neal. “This wasn’t your fault.” She said.

“But… my boy..” his voice sounded vulnerable even to his own ears. But the young nurse offered him a small, reassuring smile.

“Will be alright.” She promised him. She had no way to know that for certain, he knew… but her words gave him a strange sort of comfort. It wasn’t the words; no it was her eyes. Blue eyes full of optimism and hope. She truly believed her words, and she made him believe them too. He was getting lost in her eyes and the feeling they gave him, when the door opened and snapped him out of it. She drew her hand back quickly.

“Belle, we need those paper towels in the bathrooms.” The taller, olive skinned nurse in purple scrubs. The woman looked curious to see him there, but simply nodded in greeting. She wasn’t a nurse that Gold had seen before, and he wondered if his suits made her think he belonged there.

“Well, duty calls.” Belle said, standing to grab the paper towels as the other nurse left. “Feel free to stay here as long as you need.” She told him, smiling before leaving as well. Who was this young woman? How is it she could be in his life a few short moments in total, and yet make him open up? He stayed there quite a while, until he was certain that Milah had gone.

Another week passed, with him seeing Belle more and more. Neal seemed to like her, and he would watch sometimes as the two played cards and board games. A few times, his son convinced him to play as well. He never could deny his son when he looked at him that way. The more time he spent with Belle, the more he liked her as well. She was pretty and interesting, funny, and most importantly, good with Neal.

He’d left Belle with Neal when Tamara came to visit for the last time. “I can’t do this.” She said, frowning. “He doesn’t know me, and… it’s just too hard.” They spent the next half hour arguing, yelling at each other in the hallway, Belle doing her best to distract Neal.

“Here, Neal… How about you deal the cards just like I showed you..” Belle said, coming out into the hall as Tamara stalked away. Gold rose his cane, starting to hit the nearby bench in anger. “Mr. Gold!” She exclaimed, grabbing his arm. “Stop, stop!”

Gold stopped, looking at her, rage filtering away at the slight fear in her blue eyes. “They’ll make you leave, or you’ll frighten Neal.” She was right.. He placed the cane on the ground again, collapsing onto the bench in frustration. “What happened?” She asked, sitting beside him. He showed her the ring that had once adorned Tamara’s finger.

“She left.” Belle bit her bottom lip, a habit he’d noticed she had. “She left him because of his condition. And when he comes back to? Then what?”

Belle placed her hand on his arm, looking at him. “Then he’ll have a father who loves him.” She said, mater-of-factly. “A father who will help him through this. You’ll see.. everything will be okay.”

“I want to believe that, Miss French. I really do..” But it was difficult. Belle was about to say something, when Neal called to them.

“Belle, papa! Are we gonna play or not?” He asked. “I’m bored!” He held out the vowel, a slight whining in his voice. Belle tilted her head to the side, offering him an assuring smile. Adam pocketed the ring and started to stand. “Coming, son.” He said, heading back into the room with her.

The following days weren’t easy. Tamara was gone for good, Milah had to be back to her new husband, and the hospital was suggesting to Gold that he take Neal home to live with him. They told him about in-home care to help him deal with Neal, but Gold was uncertain. He didn’t like the idea of a stranger coming to stay with he and Neal. But he wouldn’t be able to do it on his own.

He spent time with each of the in-home specialists that the hospital recommended, but none of them had what he was looking for. And Neal didn’t like many of them either, something that was much more of a problem. He was stressing over it when Belle came in with a box of crayons and computer paper to spend time with Neal, as she had grown accustomed to doing. He watched them for a while, an idea forming in his head. 

When Neal had finished a picture of him playing soccer as a lad and Belle was about to leave, Adam stood. “I’ll se you out,” he said, walking with her. As they left the room, Adam looked over at her. “Miss French… I have a favor to ask of you.” Belle slowed her pace to look at him, curious. He explained to her about the doctor’s suggestion of in-home care, and of his plight with finding a nurse to help them.

“I may know a few people who could help,” she started. That’s one thing he really liked about her. She always jumped to help anyone in need. No matter who the were or what they’d done, she would help if she could. And he had no doubt that her contacts would each make great in-home nurses. But he had his heart set on someone else.

“That’s very kind of you, dearie, but… well, I had another idea.” He felt nerves raise in him. She would say no. Why wouldn’t she? He was just some strange and sullen old man.. But maybe for Neal.. for Neal she might. “I was hoping that.. perhaps.. That you would consider becoming our in-home nurse.” He said. Surprise was clear on her features at his offer. “We already know you’re great with Neal, and he loves you. You can even deal with me. And I mean.. you didn’t go to school for janitorial work, yeah?” 

He blushed faintly, feeling suddenly foolish. “I would love to..” she said, after a moment of silence. “You’re right.. they have me doing the most ridiculous things here, and honestly I like Neal. He’s so sweet and fun to be around..” She smiled a bit. “It may not be what I expected to get into when I became a nurse, but I would love to be your in-home nurse.” 

He could hardly believe it. She’d agreed; she had really agreed. He smiled faintly. “That’s.. wonderful. Thank you, Miss French. I honestly can’t tell you how much this means to me— to us!” he corrected quickly. “I’m sure Neal will be thrilled to hear that he won’t be losing his friend by returning home.” 

Paperwork filled out, and plans made, the day finally came to discharge Neal. Besides his reverted state, there was nothing really wrong with him. Nothing that had shown itself yet, anyway. He’d brought Neal some clothes from his things that Tamara had sent him, but the room he brought Neal to had been left the same as he’d had it when he was younger, much to Neal’s excitement.

And then Belle French had moved in, filling up the spare bedroom with her books, and clothes, and presence. He’d given her a tour of the house, a bit ashamed by the state it was in, antiques and clutter filling the old manor. Belle didn’t seem to mind, though, and it only took a few days for her to get the place in ship shape order. He’d felt bad, telling her that she really didn’t need to clean. He’d hired her to help him with Neal, not to be their maid. But she insisted that she was there to make his life easier, and that cleaning was just a part of that. She had a great work ethic. It was impressive, and he was grateful. 

Things had gotten stressful over the last few months, and things were bound to not get any less difficult any time soon. But despite all of that, he couldn’t help but think that maybe things would really turn out alright. He had his son with him, safe, and happy, even if a bit worse for the wear. He didn’t have to go to the hospital every day to see his son. And now, they had Belle, a constant source of light in their darkened world. And for the first time since Neal’s accident, Adam Gold was optimistic.


End file.
